Means for burning powdered fitkl



Feb 28, 1928.

A. BUTCKHEF:

MES FCR BURNING POW 3 Sheets-Sham WSL 1,661,031 A. BUTCHER EANS FOR BURNN-G FOWDERED FUEL Filed July 14, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 28, 1928.

Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES ALFRED Euronen, orv nosELLE mum,- NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOK BUBNINQPOWDEBED FUEL.

Application led July 14,

My invention relates to burners -and has particular relation to means for .and method of burning powdered fuel.

One object of m invention is to provide apparatus of the c aracter described which shall be of simple, compact and rugged design and shall .lend itself to inexpenslve quantity production methods of manufacture, the several parts of which may be made on existing automatic machinery and assembled with a minimum expenditure of time and money.

Another object of my inventionis to provide a method of burning powdered fuel which consists in causing the fuel to approximate the form ofan expanding cone, wherein the fuelisI moved spirally, end -subjecting said cone to a contracting cone of air, wherein an oppositev spiral movement occurs. Y

A further object of my invention is to provide a method which consists in forming a spirally moving mass of,powdered fuel in the shape "ofan expanding cone, intermin-l gling therewith a -second expandingcone formed by an auxiliary fuel and subjecting both fuels to air'currents in the form of a contracting cone. f-

A still .further objectof my invention is to provide a burner for owdered fuel that shalll bc particularly app icablc to small furi."

naces by reason of its relatively short Afiume'.

A still further object of my invention is' to provide a burner of such `design that the radiant heat from the'furnace may he pre vented from directly strikingl the furnace front plate structure aswell as substantially the entire exposed surface ofthe f uel discharge assage. f v j 40 Astiil further object of my invention is sto provide a burner of the character described havingv means whereby the combustion conditions -withinthc fiame may be ascertained from a remoto' point.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the heavier porlons of the powedered f-ucl may hedischarged from the burner into'a desired .por-

tion of the flame. Other ohjects and applications of my invention, as well' as details of construction .and operation, wht-,why my,invention may be practiced, will be apparent more fully hereinafter, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein A Figure l is. a vertical longitudinal section 1926. Serial N0. 122,860.

of a burner embodying the preferred form of my invention, showing the same.' mounted in a furnace wall; l

Fig. 2 isa rear elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the .stationary portion of the air register shown in Fig. 1;v

Fig. 1, showing a slightl modified form of .burner and its associate feed pipe;

` Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showin another embodiment of my invention; an

Fig. 10 is a rear eleva-tion of the structure shown in Fig. 9.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inelusive, the furnace wall 1 is provided with a passage 2 extending therethrough from the front side 3 to the rear side 4.

The passage 2 is compose" two portions designated 5 and 7.v

The portion 5 is preferably formed to receive a shell comprising a spherical portion 6 and a tubular portion 9, the inner end of the portion 6 terminating at a distance from the rear side 4.of the wall. t

The portion 7 comprises the rear part of the opening 2 not occupied by the shell 6, and,A as shown, the portion 7 is flared outwardly from the inner edge of `the shell-sto the rear side 4 of the furnace wall, so as ito provide a conical outlet having an increasing diameter. Y

A transverselyextending annular fian e .12 is formed on the front of the shell. This flange is bolted to a plate 13 that is positioned in front of the furnace wall, being spaced slightly therefrom.

The plate 13 hasjan opening 11 therein which is of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the flange 12, but the openin 11 is of sulicient diameter to permit the s ell 6 to be inserted therethrough when the parts are being assembled. e I

rThe. burner apparatus is disposed within the shell 6. Powdered fuel may he oonveyed' to such apparatus through an externelly positioned easing in the form of-a pipe 14. This pipe is so designed that cui` rents-of air may'v be used to force the fuel into the burner.

Mounted' within the end of the shell is an air re iSter 18. This register comprises a centra tubular portion 30 and outer and inner flanged ends 17 and Q5, respectively.

The outer end. of the portion 30 of the air register aligns with the inner end of the pi e 14. In order to permit the outer end o' the register to be secured to the inner end'of the pipe 14, the inner end of the latter .is formed with a flange 16 Vwhich is bolted to the flange 17 vof the `air register.

The register 18 is carried by the plate 13. For this purpose, the )eriphery of the flange 17 is secured to the flange 12 of the shell 6 by means of bolts 19.

The flange 17 of the register 18 closes the end of the shell 6. However, to permit air currents tov pass inwardly Jthrough the shell, openings 21 are formed in the flange 17.

Webs 22 are formed on the exterior of the tubular vortion 30 of the air register between the anges 17 and 25 thereof. These wells are so` disposed with respect to the central tubular portion of the register and the opening 21 in the flange 17 as to provide a plurality of air deflection' vanos that are adapted to impart a spirafmovement to the air currents flowing through the openings 21 into the shell 6.

The volume of air passing through the openings 21 of the air register may he eon trolled hy a shutter 26. Preferably the sluitter is in the form of a perforated circular plate mounted for rotation in a recess 27 formed in the front face of the flange 17 ot the air register 18, and retained therein by a rin r 28.

he-renterof the shutter is formed with a relatively large circular opening 32 in which is inserted the inner end ot the pipiI l'l. It so desired, the flange lf of the pipe l-'tmay eut as shown in Fig. l, so as to engage the portion of the shutter surrounding lthe opening 32, and, therelrv retain tlul central por tion of the shutter in position,

The shutter 2G is provided with openings 29 that are similar in l'orm to the openings' 9.1 of the air register'.

The openings 2l) are adapted iu one position to register directly 'with th(l openings 21. A movement, however. of the shutter causes a partial olosing ol the openings 2l, le-pending upon the extent of movement, so that the air supply for the hurncr at this point may he decreased, or completely cut ofl,\und reliance had merely upon the air employed to carry the powdered fuel to the burner. I

ttached to the flange 25 of the air register 18 isI a flange 2t if?. a earner nozzle 31. Fhis nozzle eonmrisea a? tube that is lontt Lee.

V and le eeeured thereto by tudinally disposed in alignment with the' fuel discharged therefrom may be caused to assume the form of an expanding cone.

,As a result of so converging the walls of the discharge passage at the burner outlet the cone is of such character that the velocity of the fuel will he substantially zero at a relatively short distance from the burner.

For example, Combustion may be completed within a zone Sevenfeet from the hurncr, as compared with a zone of twcnt`y-five feet from the usual type of burner. A

In order that the heavier portions of the fuel normally settling to the bottom of the nozzle 31 may he discharged into the top of the flame` as well as into the side and bottom of the flame, I provide a detlector 36 (see Figs. 1, 5 and 6).

The deflector 36 comprises n pair of spaced circular' walls which are interconnected -by a plurality of radially disposed Webs 37.

Intermediate varies 39.

The venes 39 are of such dimensions and are so disposed between the spaced'circular walls of the deflector as to leave apertures 38 for the passage of the powdered fuel.

The vanes 39 are also inclined with yre spect to the webs 37 so that a spiral moveclination of the vanes is such that the spiral movement imparted to the fuel will be in a direction opposite to the spiral movement of the air currents flowing through the air register.

The position of the deflector 36 relative to the outlet 35 of the now/.le 3l also controls the effect of' the deflector on the flame.

'l`hercfore, in order to providel means for adjusting the relative .position of the (leflcrtor Il() with respect to the outlet 35, I 'pro vide a tubular adjusting rod 41.

The rod 41 is disposed longitudinally in the air register 18 and the nozzle 31, and projects outwardly through an opening 44 in the pipe 14. v

The inner end of the rod 41 may terminate adjacent to the outlet 35, as shown by Fig. 1.

The inner end of the rod 41 has a threaded portion 42 which is engaged by a'tllreaded aperture 43 formed centrally in .the dcflector 36. 4 l

The portion of the pipe 14 in which the opening 44 is formed has a flange 46 l The end ofthe rod 41 has a threaded por tion 51 on to which is screwed a plate 48.

The. plate 48 engages with the flange 46, bolts 47.

successive webs 37 are ment will he. imparted to the fuel. The in i s the nieulher ll is tubular throughout its length, it provides a sighty hole that par mitsmeeurat'e elatervation of the combustion eonditions within the flame from an exttirual :3 point.

Should the fuel he very Coax-Se. it in de- :lirahle to provide the hurner with a second detleetor.

Snell detleetor. indicated hv the numeral 52. mavhe mounted in the tuel passage in advaneh of the detlector Siti, as shown hy Fig. 1. lf so disposed. the detleelor 52 will he poisitioned within the air reghter i8.

The dellector 52 may he sinnlar in torn; to the detleetor 36 previously deaelilied, hui the varies thereof A'hould be inelined in a diree tion opposite to the vanes et the detleetor lfn .ico that the fuel will he 1given a spiral movement in the Sanne direction as the direction fixen to the air whieh is delleeted hy the runes of the air regiater 18. hut in the oppow site dirertion to that. Caused hy the Yanes 3f) of the detleetor Sti.

rl`he defleetor 52 is provided with e. cenirai threaded aperture 525 for engagement with a threaded Imrtioii l on the inenihet' 4.1.

The threaded portions 53 and 54 have a pitch opposite to those for the delleetor 36,

:La so that.V the two detleetors may he moved towards each other or a way from eaeh other te: ou the turning;r of the lneinher 4l.

lie detleetors 3 and 5;1 have lugs 45 't Yted on their peripheries (see ,Fig 5). I h lugs are mounted in a Igroove 33 email longitudinally in the hfittom nt the iawnue (we Fig. l).

i r thi` manner the dedeetors will he prei oud from turningr in the hwe'bt the fuel t* 'evene when the memher il is etuated.

radiation eone or deleetor is mounte 'on the discharge end ot' the nozzle ll.

the detleetor eonnprhel a pair of y,ai-ed inner and oiahrwall`4 5G and 57. repm-tively.

,M shonn clearly in Fier. 1. the wallsy of ilus detleetor are .apherirallyY eurved in the diret-tion ot the dieirharge outlet 35 of the linrner.

lntereonneeting they walls 5G and 5T ol' the delleetor are wells 59. 'l`he-e wells provide a plurality ot air pawrges 5f).

llue to the contour ofthe walls ol the ile-- llertor 55 the air passages .Uil ha re enlarged open endS Cl t'aeineY the t'urnaee lier" and :esirieted outlets in proxiniit)Y to the die.` thai-5e outlet of the hurner.

The inner wall liti of the delleetor 55 lniy lie, supported in ypared relation lo liv nozzle ."d lu.' means, ot' extensiony (lil formed in- Vnardly from the wallf: 58

This construction enaliles the dedeetor 55 e: a unit to he moved longitudinally on the r for a limited diat'anee. The im.: r edelen of the walls 56 and 57 0f til) the detleetor 55 are intereoxnieeted by a wall' ia. r.. ge 69.

The passage (it), due to the rontour of the lletleetor 55 and the Vahell o eonverges towards the hurner outlets.

The air warrants tindifated by arrown4 in Fig. l) traversing the pasnage (39 forni a eoutraeting4 eOne wherein a spiral movement, oeenr. which movement in eppoi-ite to that, imparted to the fuel h v the detti-rior lti.

`When the .powdered luel in the l'orin of an expandingr cone i@ diehargfed through the outlet 55 ot'the hurner. it mixes; with the eontraeting cone of air flowingr through the openings (i7 in the detleetor 55. and a Sul)- stantially straight'y line motion will he iinparted to the flame By reason Otl the 'hiet that the luel and air have opposite spiral movement. a thorough mixing of the air and l'nel if insured. This eonaeqnently rexulte iu L'real'er liurner etliiienCy,

The angle, of the thune may he var ed hy movingr the'detleetor 55 tow-,udg or away from the t'urnai'e troni the limitingl polition heiney when the fuel one limil elean the outlet opening 9 as well as (he outwardlr llarin` r portion 7. .f\ further l'unrtion ot' the detleetor 55 in the prevention olx the dis integration otl the turnaee 'ront hy th(l radiant heat'y from the turnaee.

'lo thi end th(` wallsv 5T aud (iti ol' the, detleetor 55 are so designed that radiant heat pa ^-iu11` through the shell in prerente'l trein direetly nirihing pfirtr-- e-ompriaing the "urnaee front plate strueture. \i/... the flauw li' and the air eoutrol ,whutler Lt ol' tia air regivter lfi. and the wall of the tuhular 'ila rxing 9 in the Qhell (i.

'l'he wall`l 5T and (itl al o prevent radiant, heat l'roin direetir lriltiug the remaining portions o!" the air regieter. as well :1Q all lint a relatirel,v lmall edge portion of the lfulner r.utl-t 15,

'l`he inner \l all 5V al-o .Larrea lo pri-rent. urli radinu lil-at a.: pa -ethrough the air ontletf: 13T in the deflertor .35 l'rom striking direrlr the lnirner parts iuk't noted.

ln operation. powdered fuel in eonveyed through the tulinlar portion 3o of the air register and the hurner nozzle 31 hy means liitl tit) of air currents. As' the fuel passes through the detlector 36 it is given a spiral movement which it maintains upon being discharged through the outlet 35 of the nozzle 31. The converging walls of the burner ontlet Cause the swirling fuel to spread out in the form of an expanding cone. The dimension of this cone is partially determined hy the position of the detlector .15 relative to the discharge end of the nozzle.

The eone of fuel is subject to air eurrents which enter the shell tl through the openings 2l in the air register 18 and are diseharged through the air passages ($7 in the form of a Contracting cone having a spiral movement reverse to that imparted to the fuel by the deilector 36. Y

`Due to the eoustrur'tiou of the wall 56 of the dell-tor o5. and due also to the relative position of the defleetor to the outlet ol' the burner a spaee G4 is provided around the tip of the burner through whir'h spare air is supplied to the Vt'uel immediately adjacent to the tip of the burner.

The current of air flowing through the spare 64 will maintain the tip of the burner in a relatively cool eoudition.

YVhen sueh powdered fuels as anthraeite eoal,y eolie, oil refinery coke. breeze and other fuels low in volatile hydroearhons are to he used, I provide the apparatus with an auxiliary fuel burner 71. This form of the invention is shown by Fig. 8.

The burner 7l may be positioned within the fuel discharge passage of the nozzle 31, and be supplied with fuel through a feed pipe 72 passing through the tubular memher 41 and supported thereby.

The burner 7l is so designed that the fuel passes therefrom in the form of an expanding cone which mixes with the powdered fuel passing from the diseharge outlet 35 of the nozzle 3l, thereby providing an extremely valuable fuel.

lVhen this form of the invention is used the eones oi' fuel are subjected to the air eut-rents that enter the shell 6 through Vthe openings Q1 of the air register 18 and through the air passage Gt) in the form of a contrat-ting (fone having a spiral movement o'pposite to that imparted to the pulverizing tuel by the deflector Btl ina manner similar to that previously described,

As shown in Figs. 9'and l0, my invention also embodies'an alternative form of eone detleetor in which a single spherical wall 74 is used. 'lhis detleetor'has one end 75 disposed eontiguous to the disehargefeml 35 ol" the nozzle 31. The end 75 is provided with a relatively short outwardly flaring tlauge. 76. The flange is so designed as to insure a maximum spreading 'of the burner llame.

Theend 75 of the de'ctor is 'spaced slightly from the discharge end 35 of the nozzle 31 so that the latter will he eooled by air c urrents flowing through thel defi-ee tr.

The wall 74 of the detleetor and the shell 6 form a assage 77 that .funetions in a manner simi ar to the passage (SQ shown in Fig. 1.

The supply of air to the l'mssage T7 may be increased hy forming longitudinal slots 78 in` the wall 74 of the defleetor near the outer edge thereof; These .slots are eut, through the wall 74 on an angle so that the air flowing therethrough will he eaused to swirl in the same direction as is produeed by the vanes ol the air register lei,

The passage of the air through the slots 78 also results in a further wooling lof the wall 74.

The eoiitour oi the wall 1s sueh that the, detlertor shown in Figs 9 and tti has its outer .surface formed with u .eurvaturm the radius of whieh is shorter than the rwdioe it eurvature of the outer valt o" tiwtoi :35. Hence. radiant rent will la; prevented from striking the i: 'portaut paris' ot the burner nozzle, and the slots' are 1; iuelined that the radianty heat eannot pass dr reetly through the saute.

The operation of the structure shown in Figs. 9 and l() is otherwise the same as iudieated for the preceding figures ot the drawings7 however, it'should he noted that the eone detleetor last deseribed ditl'ereirtiates over the preferred embodiment of the invention inv the elimination of the inner wall 56 and the apertured inner end wall (S6.

Vhile I have shown only certain embodiments of my inieutiou. tor the purpose of describing the same and illustrating its;v priueiples of eonstruetion and operation. it is apparent that various ehanges and inoditieations may be made therein without depart ing from the ,spiritot' my invention, and l desire, therefore,'that only sueh limitations shall be imposed thereon as are indicated by the appended claims or as are demanded by the prior art.

What I elaim is:

l. The combination with a t'urnaee wall having a spherieally formed opening therein. of a shellniounted within .said opening.

'said shell having an open end ,um'ided with a laterally projet-ting tlange. a plate disposed ln front ot' `aid wall. means for se- Curing aid flange to said plate; a ,burner tube disposed Within v4`aid shell. an air register disposed eoaxiallvwith said tube', said air register having t: (lange overlapping the flange of said shell and secured theretofsaid flange having openings formed therein. a plurality of vanesA extending trom the edge of said openings inwardly of the said air register, and a rotary 'shutter mounted' in the front of nir register flange, and hnivingl ing one end of the Shell for delivering spiral o enings aligning with the openings in sai air currents through the shell, and a deflecair reglster flange. tor mounted on the discharge end of the 2. The combination with a furnace wall burner tube, said deflector having inner and 5 having u sphel'ically formed opening, o a outer spherically curved walls, a plurality shell mounted within said opening, a burner o# interconnecting spacing Walls forming tube disposed within said shell, means for passages, und an apertured end wall of frusdelecting fuel through the burner tube and 't0-conical form interconnecting the said for impurting :l spiral movement thereto, curved Walls.

1U means Surrounding the burner tube and clos- ALFRED BUTCHER. 

